Lea Salonga

format_quote And if you really believe in your heart of hearts that you have the talent, go for it. But you've got to make sure you really have the talent. I was watching that TV show, American Idol, and they were showing these auditions. The contestants think in their heart that they're talented, and the judges would say, 'You are appalling. You cannot sing.' And I painfully had to agree. But they really believe that they have something. You need a very objective person to say you've got talent.

stars  Uses the name "Manang" as her Internet chat code name. Manang means elder/eldest sister in Ilonggo (her mother's dialect).

stars  Made her concert debut at the prestigious Carnegie Hall on November 7, 2005.

stars  Briefly attended Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines (mid-1988 - early 1989) in a pre-med course. She initially thought she wanted to be a dermatologist. Took two courses (one in Philosophy and the other in European History) at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan during Spring semester, 2000.

stars  Brother, Gerard Salonga, arranges all Lea's music. He is a multi-talented musician and symphony orchestra conductor. He is presently head of the music and audio department at Carmel House Studios (www.gc4.com) and conductor of the Global Studio Orchestra.

stars  Gave birth to her first child with husband Robert, daughter Nicole Beverly, on May 16th, 2006 in Manila. The baby weighed in at 6 lbs, 10 oz.